Ethernet and frame relay networks operate using different standards and protocols. Ethernet is a local area technology, in which devices attach to a common medium that provides a path along which the signals will travel. Frame relay networks are based on packet-switching technology. In order for an Ethernet network to communicate with a frame relay network an intermediate device (e.g., a device to encapsulate a package) is needed. Encapsulation is the inclusion of one data structure within another structure so that the first data structure is hidden and the network views the encapsulated packet to forward in the system. For example, an Ethernet formatted data packet can be encapsulated within asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) cells to allow packets to be forwarded from an Ethernet network to an ATM network.